Control mechanism for heat exchange apparatus



E. STRANSZKY Aug. 3, 1937.

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed Jan.' 8, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 uni-1. abs-Q1182 I INVLN'TOK AT'TO R v4.2. s

E. STRANSZKY 2,088,728 CONTROL MECHANISM FOR HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Aug. 3, 1937.

Filed Jan. 8, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet"? I! 4 5 WI!!! 13 .5 '14 5 14 I I 7 ZE5.6 g I {Z 1 Z4- ,Pkg; 4

Emil Stsqnazkx LN JiNTOR 1937' E. STRANSZKY 2,088,728

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet s .R JO

* lY/IIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIYIII/IIIIIA f I v Emil strum Ky i I INVLNTOK T ,MM/Mm Patented Aug. 3, ,1937

PATENT OMFFJCE oon'rnor. MECHANISM FOR nna'r' EXCHANGE APPARATUS Emil Stranszky, Erie, 1a., ass'ignor to American Sterilizer Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 8, 1935, Serial No. 836

5 Claims.

This invention relates to control mechanism for heat exchange apparatus, and has for an object the provisionof new and improved mechanism of this character.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application I have shown, for'purposes of illustration, various forms which my invention may assume, and in these drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sterilizing container, showing the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the sterilizing container, showing the control mechanism employed in connection therewith,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of one of the control devices in one position of operation,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view disclosing another of the control devices,

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 6-3 of corresponding substantially to the line 5-5 of 25 Figure 5,

. Figure '1 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the invention corresponding substantially to the line 1-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 3-8 of Figure 7, 1 Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view disclosing another-embodiment of the invention,

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view correspending to the line ilk-I of Figure 9, while Figure 11 is a diagrammatical view showing the layout of electrical circuits employed in connection with the invention.

Referring first to Figures 1 through 8, and Figure 11, the invention is shown as applied to a sterilizing container ill of any suitable form, adapted to contain a liquid into which surgical instruments and the like may be placed and the liquid raised to sterilizing temperature, the con- 45 tainer being provided with supporting feet ii,

and a hinged cover l2 in the usual manner. Secured along the bottom of the container II is a looped electrical immersion heater i3 of any well known type, the ends of which extend through 50 the adjacent end wall l4 of the container Ill, and

are connected with an electrical circuit through conductors i which extend beneath the bottom of the container l0 and are connected with a control device indicated generally by the reference 55 character. Another looped immersion heating element I1 is disposed within the container i0 so as toextend along the bottom thereof, a portion of one leg of the heating element i'i, however, being oifset, as at i8, to extend some distance above the bottom of the container ill (Fig- 5 ures 1 and '7) for a purpose hereinafter referred to, the ends of the heating element i'i extending through the wall 19 of the container ill, and secured in position by securing nuts and washers, as indicated at 20, and connected with another control mechanism indicated generally by the reference character 2 i.

Fixed to the end wall H of the container III, by any suitable means, as by spot welding, is asupporting plate 22 having an angular flange 23,

which extends along the top and side edges of theplate 22, preferably being omitted at the bottom of the plate, andtheflange 23 serves as a support for a box-shaped cover 24 telescopically fitted over the flange 23, and held in place by screws 25,

out as at 21 for efiecting this purpose, and one end 28 of one leg of the strip 26 is secured to a bracket 29 carried by the plate 22, and the strip 30 26 is surrounded by a housing 30, secured to the plate 22 byscrews 3i extending through ears 32,

the free end 33 of the strip 26 being 'adapted to move to and fro, dependent upon changes in temperature transmitted directly thereto through 35 the exposed wall I! of the container iii, and to actuate a mercury-switch having a tube 34 with spaced contacts 35, and containing a quantity of mercury, as indicated at 36, and the tube 34 is carried by a pivoted bracket 31, the end of which is notched, as indicated at 38-, for the reception of the actuating end 33 of the strip 26, oscillation of the tube 34 eifecting make and break of the circuit which supplies the heating element i3.

The control mechanism 2! cooperates with the heating element l1 and comprises a bimetallic strip arranged in the form of a coil 40, one end of which is fixed to the projecting end 4| of the heating element H, as best shown in Figure 7,

the free end of said coil being provided with an '50 angular piece 42adapted to engage one end 43 of a pivoted bracket 44, which is oscillatable about. a pivot pin 45, fixed to the plate 22, the

portion of the bracket 44 above the pivot pin 45 carrying a mercury tube 46, having contacts 41,

and containing mercury adapted to cooperate therewith, the contacts 41 being interposed in a circuit supplying the heating element H. The bracket I4 is pmvided with an extension ll to which is attached one end of a tension spring 4!, the opposite endoi the spring being attached to a iixed pin ll, so that the bracket 44 is normally held in position to maintain the circuit through the mercury-switch. A setting handle BI is also pivotally mounted upon the pivot pin ll and a tension spring 52 is employed to maintain the extension-I3 of the handle in engagement with a projection 54 on the bracket 44, so that while the handle 5| may be employed to ,reset the bracket N with reference to the angular piece 42 when the latter is cool and bears toward the bracket 44, when it reaches its position beneath thebra'cket ,upward movement of the handle II has no eiiect other than to stretch the spring 52, thereby avoiding possibility of breakage, and insuring that once the device is set it must go through its cycle of automatic operation.

A time control device is also employed in connection with the invention, being indicated generally by the reference character 55. This time control device may be of a well known character, usually including an indicator 56, adapted to be turned to any desired position, carrying an arbor controlled by suitable clock mechanism, so that movement of the arbor takes place over a measured time interval, and suitable means indicated at I1, is usually provided for arresting movement nected by a conductor 61 with the terminal 84,

and to one of the contacts 41 of the control device II by a conductor 65, and a pilot lamp i8 is interposed in circuit with the clock arbor, arranged closely adJacent to the apparatus; the

, other contact 41 of the control device 2| leads to the heating element I1 through a conductor 68,

and the heating element I! has its return through the iced wire 69, a second pilot lamp Ill being arranged in parallel with the heating element II, the pilot lamp ll being disposed at some suitable point remote from the apparatus. The control device It has one of its contacts 35 connected to the heating element ll by a conductor ll, while the other contact is connected to'the con-- ductor OI by a conductor I2. Any ordinary snap switch 13 may be employed to control admission 0! electrical ene y to the apparatus. 1

In operation the liquid is supplied to the container ID in suitable amount, and the switch 13 having been operated to admit electrical energy to the apparatus, and assuming the control devices IB and II to be in the position shown in Figure 2, with the timing device 55 set to operate I over a predetermined time, both the heating elements I3 and II will be energized, and heat the liquid within the container. when the temperature of the liquid has risen to the desired extent, heat radiating from the wall it onto the bimetallic element 2|, will cause the same to oscillate the bracket 31 in a counter-clockwise direction, and open the circuit which includes the heating element It, and the temperature oi the a sence liquidhaving been raised the desired amount the heating element l I will maintain the temperature at the desired point; of course should the temperature again drop the thermostatic element I. will oscillate the bracket 31 in a clockwise direction and re-establish the circuit through the heating element ll. 1

While the timing device 55 continues to operate, the pilot lamps 88 and 10, as well as the heating element I1, continue to operate, but when the timing device reaches the end of its predetermined period of operation, it breaks the circuit supplying the pilot lamps and control device 2|; furthermore it the time period expires while the control device It has its circuit established, it cuts out the control device It also.

Should the level of the liquid in the container III at any time approach a dangerous point, so as to expose the oflset ll of the heating element II, the exposed oflset will heat up rapidly enough to actuate the thermostatic coil 40 and cause the angular portion 42 to move out from beneath the bracket 44, and the spring 48 will then rotate the mercury tube 46 in a counter-clockwise direction and break the circuit energizing the heating element ll. long as the angular piece 42 of the coil III is in the position shown in Figure 2, however, the device must go through its automatic operation just described, it being evident that the pivoted bracket 44 cannot be moved by manipulation of the handle 5!, since upward movement oi this handle merely stretches the spring 52; after the device has operated in the manner described, it may be reset by pushing down upon the handle 5lwhich causes rotation of the bracket in a direction to permit the angular piece 42 to resume its beneath.

A somewhat difl'erent embodiment of the in vention is disclosed in Figures 9 and 10, wherein a control device I4 is disclosed which may be actuated by pressure. In this construction a liquid container 15 may have its contents heated by any suitable means, a heating element 16 being shown, and communicating with the container 15, through an opening 11, is a bellows 18, carrying at its outer end a cam 19, engageable with the lower beveled end 80 or an extension 8| adjustably carried through a bolt and slot arrangement 82 by the lower end of a pivoted bracket 83 pivotally supported as at 84, the bracket 83 being urged in a clockwise direction by a tension spring 85, and above the pivoted support M the bracket carries a mercury tube 8G oi. the character already referred to, whereby rise in pressure beyond a predetermined extent in the container 15 will cause expansion of the bellows ll, swinging of the bracket 83 against the tension of the spring 85, and rocking of the mercury tube 86 to breakthe circuit supplying the heating element 18. Although" the control mechanism is disclosed as applied to a liquid container, it will be appreciated that the control mechanism may be used in many other situations wherein changes in temperature or pressure may be employed to actuate control mechanism 01' the character described.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein disclosed accomplish at least the principalob- Jects of the invention, but also, that the con-- lments may be variously changed and modified position there- 7 container; asource of electrical energy; a mercury-switch having conductors forming a circuit 'with said source and with said heating element;

a bracket carrying said mercury-switch and pivotally mounted on said apparatus; a bimetallic looped thermostat responsive to the temperature within said apparatus tor operating said bracket to actuate saidmercury-switch and make and break the circuit through said heating element; and clock mechanism interposed in circuit with said mercury-switch having means for makins and breaking said circuit independently oi said mercury-switch.

2. A sterilizing container, comprising: a plurality oi electrical heating elements in said container, adaptedto be immersed by liquid therein; electric reed conductors; a first heating element connected across said feed conductors, and a second of said elements connected in parallel with said first element; a first thermally responsive means, responsive .to a predetermined temperature within said container, for cutting on and oil said second element, said first element beins operable normally to maintain said liquid at said predetermined temperature after said second heating element has been cut oil; a second thermally responsive means, responsive to an abnormal conditlon,'and so constructed and are ranged as to cutout said first element. and also said second element should the same be energized when said second thermally responsive means is actuated; and time controlled means. operable after lapse oi a predetermined time, to cut out one or both oi. said heating elements depending upon whether one'or both are energised awhen said time controlled means are actuated.

3. A sterilizing container, comprising: a plurality of electrical heating elements in said con- 'tainer, adapted to be immersed by liquid therein;

electric teed conductors; a first heating element connected across said feed conductors, and another of said elements connected in parallel with .said first element; a first. thermally-responsive means responsive to (a predetermined tempcrature withinsa id container for cutting on and oil said second element, ,said first element being operable normally to maintain said liquldat said predetermined temperature after said second heating element has been cut oil, said second element ha an dfiset portion constructed and arranged tobe -exposed in advance oi the re-" 5 v3 mainder of said second element when the level or said liquid fails; a second thermally responsive means, responsive when said oflset portion of said first element is exposed, to cut out said first element and also said second element should the same be energized when said second thermally responsive means is actuated; and time controlled means operable, alter lapse of a predetermined time to cut out one or both at said heating elements depending upon whether one, or both are energized when said time controlled means are actuated.

4. An apparatus of the character described and arranged to be actuated when said onset is' exposed to break the circuit therethrongh, and through said first thermally responsive switch means, when the latter is closed; and clock mechanism interposed in circuit with said first and second thermally responsive switch means for breaking said circuit independently of nidfirst and second thermally responsive switch means.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising; electrical heating means in said container. having a plurality of heating sections adapted to be immersed by liquid therein; electric teed conductors for said heating meansrfirst thermally responsive switch means in series with .a first section or said heating means, responsive to a predetermined temperature within said con tainer for cuttingon and 0!! said first'section;

a second section of said heating means having an ofiset adapted to be exposed in advance of the remainder of said sections; a second thermally responsive switch means, including a pivotally mounted mercury'switch, and a looped bimetallic thermostatic element, responsive when said olset is exposed to actuate said mercury switch, said second switch means being constructed and arranged to"break the ieedercircuitMsh said second section, and also through'said first seetion when said first thermally responsive switch means are closed; and clock mechanism interposed in circuit with said am and second thermally responsive means for breaking said circuit independently of said first and second thermally responsive switch means. 

